All Grown Up
by canadianhplover
Summary: Renesme has always been close with Jacob for as long as she could remember. When he returns from a long absence Nessie realizes just how much she cares for Jacob. Follow as Nessie learns the truth about the attachment, and the past comes back to haunt her
1. Changing

It's no longer Bella and Edwards time for romance

**All Grown Up Chapter One:**

**Changing**

The hazy sunlight filtered in through the window and danced across the hardwood floors and warmed the face of Renesme Cullen. Her young, smooth, flawless face seemed to glow slightly from her spot perched the end of her pristine bed. In fact, the word pristine could probably be used for her room in its entirety. Her name-sake and Grandmother had made sure of that when she had set out to designing her bedroom when she was only three years old.

Peering around her white room, Renesme's eyes briefly touched each carefully placed object and piece of furniture. A white desk sat in front of the large window that she sat across from, a pile of note pads and pencils as well as her very own laptop sat on top, looking organized in a very un-planned way. Next to the desk, on the floor was a huge stuffed wolf, something that had been won for Renesme – or Nessie as some called her – at a local carnival when she was nearly a year old by her best friend Jacob Black. It was one of her prized possessions, something that she would often pull on to her bed and sleep on, on nights that she felt lonely.

To the right of the desk, on the wall was a towering mess of shelves that held all of Nessie's books, CD's (her father's influence), old board games, make-up, and other things she could entertain herself. Though it seemed like it should be just a mess it all worked out perfectly and symmetrically like her Grandma had planned. Sometimes it was a little disconcerting that everything was so perfect all the time. Across from the desk was Nessie's bed which sat horizontal to the desk, covered in white linens and silks. It was a grand double bed – one thing that _had_ changed since Nessie was three – covered in big pillows that any normal person could fall into and instantly fall asleep.

But as of late Renesme hadn't been able to sleep. Of course her parents barely took notice of this, and Nessie wasn't quick to share, so it had always been assumed she was sleeping when she kissed them goodnight and went to her room where she would lie in her bed, eyes wide open. It surprised her though, at how clueless her parents were, especially when they were the people that they were.

The thing was, Renesme's parents weren't exactly human. See, the thing was that her father was a vampire, and after her mother had conceived her, and a few months later gave birth, her mother had become a vampire as well. This all made Renesme half-vampire, and a rarity. Not only that, but because she was a half-vampire, she had aged rapidly, and by her sixth birthday she would reach her full potential and never age again. Also being half-vampire, she had inherited her parents talent, and was able to show people her thoughts by touching their faces. But all of this wasn't the surprising thing for Nessie, it was that her father had a special power – a little like her own – that allowed him to read others thoughts, and that she had managed to hide her sleepless nights from him had been a surprise.

Yawning widely, Nessie fell back on her bed, and stared at the starry sky above her. When she was four, Jacob had come up with idea, telling her that there was nothing like falling asleep under the stars, and had taken it upon himself to plastering the glow-in-the-dark stickers all over her ceiling, shaping some into constellations. It had taken an entire day, and even longer to convince Esme, her grandma, that it fit perfectly into the room.

With a pang, Renesme frowned. It had been nearly four weeks since she had last heard from her best friend. One night, while she had been asleep, the scent of a rogue vampire had been caught, and Jacob had been sent to follow the vampires track along with some others. She couldn't understand it, and for the first week she hadn't even tried to hide the hurt by his actions. She knew it was his responsibility as an Alpha-male, but she had wished Sam had gone instead.

Just like Renesme and her parents, and the rest of her family for that matter, her best friend Jacob was special as well. A Quileute native, Jacob and many other boys and girl had been given the 'gift' of becoming massive wolves when her family had first moved to the small town of Forks. Many year ago, back when Renesme's father's family had first stepped foot in Forks the Quileute's had transformed into these wolves to protect the others until a treaty was signed and they left. But when they returned the same thing occurred again, and as more vampires came to forks more and more boys, and even one girl turned into what they called themselves, werewolves.

But Jacob wasn't a werewolf. He was a twenty-one year old _man_ that acted much younger, and when ever he wished could turn into a huge rusty-brown coloured wolf, that acted more like a dog when he changed just for fun. Renesme had always remembered Jacob as being her safety blanket, something and someone to hold on to when she was upset, and someone to tell all her secrets too. There wasn't another person on the earth that she was closer too.

And he was gone. She hadn't seen his handsome face of copper skin, and high cheekbones for what seemed like years. She hadn't heard his deep laugh, or seen his smile. No warm hug or playful joke to fill her head. No one to have fun with. It was starting to get to her, and she was starting to loose hope at hiding it from the others.

It was nearing her 'eighteenth' birthday, as her Aunts called it, and soon she would reach her full growth potential. As excited as Renesme was about no longer having multiple birthdays in one year, she couldn't help but feel down that Jacob still hadn't returned. Her father had assured her hundreds of times that he would be back soon, only tracking the vampire that had come so close to the town just to make sure nothing sinister was going on.

"It could just be a nomad who was curious," he had told her in the first week.

But the constant assurances had stopped, as if everyone had sensed they weren't helping Renesme, and much to her pleasure, her mother had stopped trying to comfort her. As much as Nessie loved her, hearing how desperate her mother had become when her father left when they first began dating was not something that soothed her soul. She would just place her finger delicately on her mother's cheek and say she was okay, and her mother would leave, silent, and perhaps a little heart-broken that her daughter wanted no comfort from her.

There was a light knock at the door, and Nessie rolled on to her side to look at the door just as it opened, and her father peered in. He wore his usual peaceful and curious look, and flashed his famous crooked smile, that Nessie had tried to imitate many times in a mirror when she was bored. For a moment he just looked at her, smirking at her thoughts of her favourite pass time.

_Jacob?_ she asked without words.

"Still no sign. Sam says that he hasn't heard a thing from Jacob since he said he was in Maine. Both Leah and Seth are with him, so we don't know unless he contacts Sam again." Edward, her father, explained entering the room and sitting at the edge of her bed with perfect grace.

"We're not all perfect," Edward countered when Renesme thought about it bitterly. She frowned, stifling a yawn before her father could catch her. But it was too late; Edward was frowning at her, and searching her thoughts and before she could even brace herself he knew. "Why didn't you tell us that you haven't been sleeping?"

"It's nothing you should worry about." Renesme said aloud. "I don't want to worry mom especially. She's worried enough about Jake, I don't need her dithering over me." She went on.

"If she had you to worry about then she wouldn't have time to worry about Jake." Edward smirked.

Still frowning, Nessie leaned forward and touched her father's perfect face gently with her same glowing hand that was just as perfect. Leaning into it a little, Edward frowned and understood. "I won't tell her, I promise."

"Thank you," Nessie mumbled, and stood up almost as gracefully as her father had sat down, and kissed him lightly on the cheek, the familiar cool feeling filling her for just a moment, and she walked over to the door.

"Omelet?" Edward whined almost, but with a grin.

"Hurry up old man, I'm hungry!" Renesme joked, and then raced from the room to the kitchen, even though she knew she had no chance against her father.

The full moon always made the night spookier then ever, and as Renesme stared out at it from her hope window in the bedroom, lying under the warm covers she let her thoughts wander to Jacob. She knew she didn't have to worry about her father hearing, as he was out with her mother hunting and doing God-knows-what in the woods. It was often that her parents would leave her alone to go on hunts. It wasn't like she was in much danger. The Quileute's still took to patrolling the area at any chance they got, and her Vampire Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents were all only a half a mile away from her

_Where are you Jacob? _Nessie thought to herself, shifting position as she tried to find one that would allow her to sleep. But no matter how tired she felt and was it would not come to her. She did not know why she couldn't just close her eyes and let it fill her, but it just didn't work that way. When she was younger sleep was one thing she found easy, and as she neared her full growth she found sleep was evading her.

Of course it all had more to do with Jacob then anything else. If he was safe, and where he belonged Nessie wouldn't be filled with worry, and wouldn't be up at night thinking about him. But eventually she had to fall asleep, right?

After another night of restless sleep, Renesme decided to give up, and since her parents weren't home she slipped downstairs and entered the kitchen that was stalked full of her favorite foods (in other words, the only human food she could tolerate) and blood. She had often tried to avoid drinking more blood then eating normal food, knowing that Jacob could easily smell the difference, and probably give her a hard time for it. She knew it was stupid to worry about his thoughts when he was so far away, but eventually he would return home, and then she would never hear the end of it.

"Midnight snack?" Aunt Alice's heavenly voice filled the kitchen as she entered, followed by her Uncle Jasper who was smirking behind her.

Nessie stood frozen by the open fridge, and closed it when they entered. "I couldn't sleep," she told them without bother.

"We know, your father told us." Jasper informed her, and when she went to protest he quickly stopped her with a signal of his hand. "We haven't said a thing to your mother, don't worry." He assured her and whether she had done it voluntarily or not, Renesme felt automatically calm.

"Why don't you finish eating, and go to bed." Alice suggested, and without having to tell her Nessie knew why her Aunt and Uncle had come to visit. Her father had probably asked Jasper if he could help her sleep by changing her mood. Nessie had to agree, it was a good idea, but she didn't like to think that everyone knew about her problems.

"I'm not hungry," Renesme admitted, and turned to leave the kitchen. "Good night," she said as she left and heard them murmur a soft goodnight. Going back upstairs, she passed the empty bedroom that belonged to her parents, and continued towards her own. Entering the white room again, the moon was still high in the sky, and still shining brightly into her room. Sliding the window open, she let the cool summer breeze blow into her room, and she went over to her bed. Pulling back the covers, she slipped under them, and faced the window. Already she could feel Jasper's power slipping over her as her head seemed to clear and fill with thoughts of slumber.

Shutting her eyes, she snuggled into her pillows and let her mind drift and soon she was asleep, and entering the world of dreams. Vivid colour filled her mind, images of people she knew, but the one that was the most predominate was Jacob's face. Copper skin, and brown eyes seemed to warm her up, and Renesme smiled. It had been so long since she had felt his warmth. Even as she had gotten older in appearance, she would still fall asleep in his arms, any where. Happiness seemed to fill every part of Renesme and she felt as if she would never wake. In her dreams she had found her safe haven.

"How long has she been sleeping?" a distant voice asked, sounding much like Renesme's father.

"Nearly ten hours," a huskier, familiar voice answered. "Alice said she hadn't been sleeping very well."

"She was worried about you," another voice had joined the conversation. It was gentle, and soft, and Nessie knew it was her mother; her father had given in and told her.

Fluttering her eyes open, she blinked wildly trying to get used to the bright light that was filling her room. She was alone, though she could still hear her parents talking outside. It took a moment for her to register exactly who they were talking to, but when she heard his husky voice again, she almost squealed with happiness. Nearly falling out of her bed in excitement, she raced over to her bedroom door and threw it open.

"Jacob!" she shouted, jumping into his open arms. Hugging him tightly Nessie suddenly felt as if everything was right in the world. Her heart pounding, and mind racing, it was a few minutes before she finally let go of Jacob, and stood by his towering frame. His hair had grown since the last time she had seen him; it was nearly to his shoulders, and soon he would be due for another haircut.

"Why have you been gone for such a long time?" Nessie asked immediately.

"We ended up in Canada," Jacob started, a smile on his lips. "It was a nomad Vampire, she had been curious by such a large coven. Her name was Lauren, but that's all we learned."

Nessie touched his arm telling him her thoughts, and Jacob frowned. "She wasn't easy to track, she changed her direction a lot, and I was afraid she might be a new Vampire. The further from here, the happier I am." He explained.

"Are you hungry Jake?" Bella, Renesme's mother asked, sensing that it would be best to interrupt them now.

"Starving," Jacob admitted.

"We'll get some breakfast ready for you two then." Edward said, and with his arm wrapped around Bella's waist the two went down stairs.

Alone now, Jacob turned back to Nessie. "Are you angry with me?"

Nessie looked down at her feet, debating how she should answer him. Did she really want to be mad at her best friend who she hadn't seen for a long time? Was she even mad at him? Renesme grinned to herself, and looked up at Jacob.

"I can't be mad at you," she admitted, and hugged him tightly. Her feet left the ground as his six seven frame picked her up, chuckling deeply. As they pulled away, Nessie touched his cheek and shared her dream from the night before, of how she had seen him in her dreams and felt his warmth.

Jacob smiled, looking down at Renesme. There was an understanding on his face, and for a moment Nessie wondered what it meant. Without saying words she realized the warmth she had felt wasn't something she made up, but Jacob himself. He had come home the night before, and he had wrapped his arms around her as she slept. Not wanting to say it allowed, Nessie quickly shoved Jacob lightly in the stomach, and watched as he stumbled back a little, on purpose.

"I bet I could get to the kitchen before you!" she shrieked, and raced for the stairs without waiting for a reaction from Jacob.

Renesme heard a humorous growl from behind her, and Jacob called his usual, "Its not winning if you cheat!" and together they crashed on to the stairs, playfully pushing each other as they went. This was why Jacob was her best friend. Even as he got older he still would act like a ten year old and joke around for her own amusement. As they banged into the kitchen Nessie found her parents looking-not-so surprised by their appearance, and simply placed their food on the island bar.

Jacob and Renesme both took their seats, and began to eat. Jacob ate with huge fork full's, shoveling as much food as possible into his mouth while Nessie ate much slower. Though she had long gotten used to normal food, she couldn't help but ignore the funny taste it gave her now and then. Just like when she drank animal blood, it was never as appetizing as human blood. But, she reminded herself, human blood would just make her hungrier for it, and there would always be the possibility of hurting someone she loved, like her Grandfather.

For a moment Renesme shared a look with her father. He looked a little worried, but without anyone else noticing she touched his hand lightly to let him know to calm down. He had heard her thoughts about how un-appetizing the food was, and like he always did he worried that Nessie's taste for blood was getting stronger. But it wasn't, in fact it was decreasing. The more she ate normal, the less she craved blood, meaning the less she would go hunting.

"Jake, you are disgusting," Nessie burst out, watching as Jacob grabbed a fresh muffin, that had just been pulled out of the oven and set to cool, and shoved it whole into his mouth with one bite.

"Hey, I haven't eaten this good in weeks." Jacob moaned, and took another one and stood up. "I've got to go; Sam is getting impatient for an update."

"You haven't seen Sam yet?" Nessie asked, surprised.

For a moment Jacob looked uncomfortable, glancing at Edward, but quickly shrugged. Renesme had caught the glance, but wasn't going to push it. What ever Jacob was going to say, eventually she would find out and understand.

"It was late and I didn't want to bother him now that Emily is pregnant," Jacob lied. He quickly kissed Renesme on the forehead, punched Edward in the arm, and kissed Bella on the cheek and started toward the door, muffin still in hand.

"Will Seth and Leah be coming for dinner?" Bella asked quickly.

"Sure," Jacob called from the hall and Nessie watched as he shoved the muffin in his mouth, and ran through the door taking a running jump to transforming.

Turning back to her parents she suddenly felt very full, and pushed away from the counter. Standing up, she looked to her parents. "I think I'm going to go for a walk." She told them.

"Don't go too far," Bella warned. The last time Nessie had gone for a 'walk' she had ended up ten miles away from Forks, tired and hungry. It had been a good thing that her Aunt Alice and foreseen this, and Edward had just flitted over to where she was and carried her home on his back.

"I won't," Nessie assured her mother, and quickly kissed both her parents on the cheeks and left the kitchen. Rushing to her bedroom she changed into some better hiking clothes – clothes that her Aunt Alice would most likely disagree with – and before leaving took a water bottle from the fridge.

The cool breeze sent a chill down Nessie's spine despite the fact her temperature was actually a few degree's hotter than normal humans. The sky was clouded, the sun just peeking around one. Forks had never been a very warm place, but it never bothered Renesme. For the most part it took a lot to make her cold. It could be in the middle of December and she could be perfectly warm standing outside in jeans and a light sweater.

The forest around Nessie's home was lush and green – just the way she loved it. Unlike her mother, cloudy and rainy agreed with her. Maybe it was because she was half-vampire, or because she had grown up in such a dismal area, it was hard to get her upset over the whether. As she walked down a familiar path, she could here a far off howl. It sounded a lot like Leah, and Nessie figured she was just calling for Jacob or Seth. Leah had always been nice to Leah, even with her parentage, but Nessie always felt as if it was just because of Jacob.

_Jacob._ Renesme couldn't help notice how her heart seemed to skip a beat at the thought of Jacob. She wasn't really sure what to call what she felt, or if there was any way to describe. It wasn't until he was back in her arms that she noticed how empty she had felt in his absence. What did it mean? Biting her lip absently, Nessie glanced around her surroundings. She had long since disappeared into the dense forest, any sign of her cottage home, or the much large one where the rest of her family stayed gone. Just the way she liked it.

It was weird, how much she liked to be alone, away from everyone else. Except for Jacob, of course. Unlike the others it wasn't a burden to have him around. He understood her perfectly, as if he had been made for her. But again, there had always been a single thing that he kept from her; something that everyone she knew kept from her. For a long time she had ignored the feeling of mistrust, deciding that she was probably better off not knowing, but now that she was older she was getting suspicious. Was it because she and Jacob were so close? None of it made sense.

For a few hours Renesme wandered around the forest, tracing old trails, catching glimpses of fast moving deer, and once she thought she saw the gray coat of fur that belonged to Leah in the distance running by. It was plausible, she had always been the first choice to be picked to go along the line as she was the fastest, and Nessie was walking pretty close.

It wasn't until the sun began to set, sending red and yellow hues mixed with blue and purple across the sky that Nessie chose to start heading home. She had taken a long time to get where she was, taking different routes, and she took the more straight forward route home, arriving on the grassy field that sat behind her grandparents home within an hour, just as the sun seemed to touch eerily over the horizon, almost gone for the day. It seemed like forever since Nessie had last eaten, and she ran into the house only to be received with angry glares.

"Where have you been?" Rosalie asked immediately when she entered the kitchen. "You missed lunch."

"I wasn't hungry," Nessie said quickly, reaching for her Aunt, but Rosalie quickly pulled away before she could.

"You can't convince any of us that you meant no harm," Alice had joined the conversation, standing in the door way. Suddenly everyone was in the kitchen, all frowning at her, and looking worried. All except for her Uncle Emmett who seemed to be resisting the urge to laugh.

"You know we don't like it when you go so far," Bella, her mother wandered over to Nessie, and held her face.

"Oh come on!" Nessie quickly protested, surprised how everyone was reacting. It wasn't the first time she had disappeared for hours. Perhaps, it was the longest she had ever gone before, but still, they were Vampires! It wouldn't be hard to track her, if not hear her if they got close enough. Hell, Alice could just search for her if she wanted to in the future. Bella saw all of this as Nessie gripped her mother's elbow, and Bella frowned.

"That is not the point." Bella said in a motherly tone. "You know how dangerous it could be for you to go out that far. You know how there are Vampires that are curious about the rumors they have heard about you, it could be dangerous if they catch your scent. You are still part human, Renesme."

Glancing away from her mother's eyes, Nessie felt as if she was young again. Sure, she looked young, and had looked even younger only a few weeks before, but despite the fact she had only been alive for six years; her family had always treated her to be much older because she seemed to be. She learned faster then other's her age, understood adult matters long before most would, even if she indulged in her childish self when ever possible.

"I'm sorry," Renesme heard herself say, and she hugged her mother, and looked to her whole family apologetically. They all seemed to take this well enough, and everyone slowly left the kitchen, Emmet's laugh trailing behind, until it was only Renesme and her parents left in the kitchen.

"Are you hungry now?" it was the first time Edward had spoken, and Renesme smiled at her father. He was a true father in that way, always looking to make Renesme feel better, and often Bella chastised him on it. He made her look like the bad guy, something they would later joke as being part of normal life. But in reality, Nessie knew how much her father cared for her safety, and that his relaxed mood was more for the benefit of her mother, then Nessie.

"I'm starving," Nessie agreed and watched as her father set out to preparing food. She could never deny the food he made, no matter how much more appetizing the scent of blood was. "Where's Jacob?" Nessie asked once she sat down at the small kitchen table.

Bella let out a laugh as she sat next to Renesme at the table. "He's coming, and he's hungry." Bella smirked, looking at Edward.

Nessie smiled. There was always a plus side to having parents who had super hearing.

**A/N: Okay, so this is my first fic in this particular fandom, and so far I'm having a blast. After reading the last book in the Twilight series I was filled with plot ideas. I never much liked Fanfiction for other stories besides Harry Potter, and this took me by surprise. But not in a bad way! Meyer's has left us with an abundance of raw characters and material to work with, and I want to have fun! I would like to bring my own little thing to the Twilight characters, which is trying to flesh them out a bit, and make them a little bit more believable, and human in there non-human fantasy world. Haha. So, if you like it, tell me in a review. I would love to respond, but sadly, I still haven't gotten the hang of this issue on this site yet. :D**


	2. Sixth Eighteenth Birthday

**All Grown Up Chapter Two:**

**Sixth-Eighteenth Birthday**

"I'm cold," Nessie said quietly, and moved closer to Jacob for warmth on the back porch. She knew it was possible that her entire family was listening to their conversation, but she knew better then that. It was most likely they were just ignoring them, as it was easy for them to do so after years of practice. In fact, Nessie she could hear the football game that Emmett was listening to as if she was sitting in the room next to him.

"Did you miss me?" Jacob teased, wrapping his arm around her shoulders gently. Nessie leaned closer to his bare chest – it was rare for her to wear anything more then his cut-off shorts.

"Only when they acted like Vampires," Nessie grinned. It was a long-running joke between Nessie and Jacob. Because her family never slept, ate, or 'human moments' as her parents called it, Nessie had always turned to Jacob for understanding. All she had to say was they were 'being vampires again' and he would be right there, reacting much a normal human would.

"Have you seen Charlie lately?" Jacob asked after a long silence.

"No, he and Sue went on a fishing trip together for a week, took Billy with them, and for the most part I think he's been too busy at work." Nessie suggested.

"In other words, the shock that you look three times older then your actual age is starting to get to your grandfather." Jacob howled with laughter when all Nessie could do was shrug in agreement.

"It's too much for him, really." Nessie began again.

"You should go to High school, most of the girls would say the same thing; how their fathers refuse to believe their daughters are as old as they are." Jacob mused.

"Oh, you're one to talk. Mr. I'm-only-twenty-one even though you look like you could be in your thirties." Nessie scoffed.

Jacob faked a pained look. "Oh, how you hurt me so!"

Nessie laughed, and put her whole body weight on to Jacob like she couldn't get close enough to him. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply and smelled his familiar scent of the outdoors and spices. It always surprised her how good he smelled, and even more when her parents would complain about it. Jacob didn't smell like a dog at all, he smelled like… home.

"I wish I could hear your thoughts," Jacob said quietly, so much so that it was like he hadn't wanted her to hear. She didn't say anything, not sure if she wanted to ruin the perfect moment. Funny, that she thought it was perfect, when it wasn't the first time she had snuggled under Jacob's strong arm, inhaled his sweet scent, and felt as happy as she did in that moment.

Opening her eyes, Nessie suddenly became aware of everything._ Everything._ Tensing in Jacob's arms, she leaned easily away from him, trying to hide her sudden reaction of awkwardness. But he caught it, and looked at her confused and unsure.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I just… um, I have to use the washroom." Nessie mumbled, stumbling on her words. She stood up quickly, nearly falling as she did so, and touched Jacob's shoulder trying to send an image of calm to him. It came out wrong, but Nessie didn't bother trying to explain, and merely banged into the house, Jacob calling if she was all right as she did so.

Nearly bumping into Jasper as she went through the kitchen, into the hall and up the stairs to the washroom that was upstairs, Nessie hardly noticed anyone she passed as she tried to breathe evenly. She heard her name called out a few times, once by Jasper, then Edward, and then her mother. But Nessie only shook them off saying she had to use the washroom, and all let her go. She could see in her father's eyes that he hadn't want to, reading her thoughts. Probably all he could think about was how his daughter had suddenly grown up, and she didn't want to deal with that.

Shutting the door behind her, Nessie went over to the toilet, shut the lid and sat down on it. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Nessie noticed how red her face had become. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to slow her racing heart, and attempt to get rid of the red face. Finally after a few minutes of this she managed to calm down and her mind started to work.

She liked Jacob, maybe more. Perhaps what she was feeling was just the way her mother felt about her father? Nessie wasn't sure, knowing that her parents loved each other more then she thought she would ever understand, but when she thought of Jacob she supposed it neared that in comparison. When Jacob wasn't around it was hard for her to function. She missed him all the time, it felt, and it had become like oxygen to her to be close to him, to feel his warmth. She was noticing all these things about him, things she had never taken into much account, and now she couldn't stop thinking about them.

How his copper skin glowed, and his high cheek bones and brown eyes made him look so much older. His silky black hair always cut short, but beautiful when he let it grow long. His height and strong arms always made her feel safe. The way his laugh would rumble through his entire body. The soft, unnoticeable scars that were on his arms from fighting vampires long before she was born or thought of. All of it was Jacob and all of it she loved and wanted.

Now, feeling more stupid then ever for just disappearing, Nessie groaned to herself, and shoved her head into her hands. This was all so confusing; never in her life had Nessie seen this coming, yet it was so obvious. All her life Jacob had been there, protecting her when she was small, and standing by her when she had grown. Jacob wasn't just her best friend, he was more, and it had been set that way the first time Jacob had ever laid his eyes on her. He had imprinted on her, just like Sam had on Emily, or how Jarred to Sarah; Quil to Claire. And looking into Jacob's brown eyes, Nessie could never see anyone else because he was made just for her, and he was only hers.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and Nessie nearly fell off the toilet in surprise. At first she thought it was Jacob, but she became aware that there was more then one person's shuffling feet outside the door.

"I'm okay Mum, Dad!" she called, and stood up and walked over to the door. Opening it, she faced their concerned faces. "I just didn't feel good for a moment," she lied.

Bella went to say something, but Edward seemed to silence her with just a touch on the arm. "Are you sure?" Edward checked.

"Yes, yes." Nessie nodded, thanking her father and counting her lucky stars that he wasn't about to make it a lot bigger then he needed to. If there was one thing she loved most about her father was that he knew when to stay silent. Of course, he had learned that a long time ago as most people don't really like having someone know all of their thoughts and go around saying them aloud. It wasn't nice or fair, and Edward would never do that to his daughter.

"Jacob said you were acting strange." Bella went on.

"I'm fine mum, I swear." Nessie assured, and kissed her mother quickly on the cheek. "If you excuse me," she said, now wanting to go back to Jacob. She wasn't going to say anything just yet to him, but she felt bad for leaving him so suddenly with no explanation.

Walking past her parents, who still stood confused, she ignored her father's expression. He had heard her decision not to tell Jacob _something._ And something he didn't know, like she hoped. Rushing down the stairs she rushed out of the house and back out on to the porch, breathless. Jacob looked at her expectantly, wearing his amused smile like always, nearly melting Nessie's heart. It started beating a little faster as she went to sit next to him.

"Feel better?" Jake laughed.

"Shut up," came Nessie's automatic response. The cool breeze blew, and a shiver went up her spine. Jacob instinctively replaced his arm around her shoulders, his bare chest emanating warmth that was unchallenged by anything else in the world. For a moment Nessie was nervous, a little uncomfortable with the new feelings she had, but when Jake made a joke everything turned normal, and all Nessie could think was how stupid she was being.

"It's your birthday tomorrow," Jake commented dryly.

"Yes, it will mark my last birthday for another year." Nessie said with complete happiness.

"I never thought I would ever hear a person complain about having a birthday more then once a year." Jacob laughed.

"You try being the centre of the attention all the time!" Nessie whined. When she had been small (which was not too long ago if you really thought about it) she had always loved everyone's eyes set on her. Perhaps it was because she was a 'teenager' now that she felt a little less comfortable with everything paying attention to her.

"I am the centre of attention all the time; everyone worships me." Jake laughed even harder now, his body shaking from the rumble. Nessie couldn't help but laugh along when he started his laugh contagious.

It was another short hour that they sat out there, joking around and talking about everything Jacob had missed when Seth came bounding out of the forest in wolf form, howling and yapping happily.

"Seth, go back to the forest and change," Jake commanded, and finally Seth settled down enough to do as Jake said. A few minutes later Seth came back out wearing cut-off shorts and no shoes. He had grown more since Nessie had been little, and he was no longer so gangly with trim lean muscles. He was still half a head shorter then Jacob, and had a smaller frame, but he was handsome, Nessie had to admit, and she could not believe he was still single.

"What is it?" Jacob asked when Seth was near enough for Nessie to hear. He had removed his arm from around her shoulders, much more serious when he was around his 'pack'.

"There's a new wolf!" Seth exclaimed.

"What do you mean? No one has transformed since Nessie was born. There hasn't been a change in the Vampire population since then. That isn't possible." Jacob argued.

"We know that Jake, Sam can't explain it either. He had a theory though, but you know I can't hear it. He's been keeping it to himself." Seth went on.

"Who is it?" Nessie asked, curious. She could barely remember the last time anything like this happened.

"You know Quil's cousin? The one who lived up north and is visiting? Well he just transformed last night. Sam is taking care of it. Leah is being distant about the whole thing, she doesn't even want to go meet the guy." Seth explained.

"What's his name?" Nessie asked looking from Seth to Jacob.

"Raymond Ateara, he's actually my second cousin. He's been living there since he was four, when his father died." Jacob explained, than looked at Seth. "I'm assuming Sam sent you here to get me."

Seth nodded, avoiding Nessie's eye. Nessie frowned deeply, and looked to Jacob. Before she could even ask though, he answered for her. "Tell your mom and then we can go."

Nessie grinned, and jumped up. "I'll be back."

After asking her mother if she could go down to La Push – her mother having no qualms about the situation, Nessie grabbed a warm jacket and joined Jacob and Seth in the back. "We'll take your car," Jacob told her, referring to the brand new Volvo that Nessie had received for her last birthday – a gift from Rose.

Seth followed Jacob and Nessie to the garage where he then cramped his long legs into the back seat. Nessie handed Jacob the keys; she never liked driving. She found it nerve-wrecking – something that her family and friends never let her live down. She was a half-vampire! What did she have to fear? But she hadn't it. She much preferred running with Jacob. She was a decent runner, being three times faster then the normal human. Of course, she would never be able to beat her father. She at least was a visible blur when she ran.

It only took them fifteen minutes to get to La Push, Jacob drove so fast. It was a miracle that no one was out on patrol. They had gone to the beech, passing Jacob's house on the way and found a huge bomb fire that lit up the dark sky. Nessie and Jacob stayed in the car for a few minutes, staring at the scene in front of us. Nessie could spot Seth standing in the crowd, talking to Embry and another boy who she didn't recognize and guessed this was Raymond. For a moment Nessie wasn't sure what she thought about him. He had long hair, something that was strange considering most of the wolves liked to keep it short. He was the same build as Quil, but was a lot taller. He had a handsome face, and looked to be almost twenty-five even though Jacob had told Nessie he was barely seventeen.

"Where's Leah?" Nessie wondered a loud, noticing the only female wolf was missing.

"I don't think she's going to show." Jacob said. "This one isn't part of our pack, there's no reason for her to be here. And she's having difficulties with… well…" Jacob simply nodded towards where Emily Uley, Sam's wife, stood swooning over a little boy that she held in her arms.

Nessie stared at the scene for a few seconds longer, understanding where Jacob was coming from. Anytime Leah had to be around Sam and Emily was bad, but when they started having children, four now, Leah kept her distance even more. She liked to go on long runs, and sometimes would disappear for a few days.

"We should get going," Jacob said silently.

"We should," Nessie agreed, and took a deep a breath before opening the car door and exiting. It wasn't that she was nervous being surrounded by people who were technically her enemies, because they were her friends. It was that she was there with Jacob, and for the first time in her short life, she was completely self-conscious.

"Jacob," Nessie said just as he went to open the door.

"What?" Jacob asked, peering at her with confused eyes.

"Never mind." Nessie said quickly, and finally she opened her car door. Jacob sat still for a few seconds before opening his door and following her around the car and together they walked over to the bomb fire.

"Nessie!"

Everyone was calling her name as they came closer. Nessie grinned; it had been a while since she had been down to La Push. Seth came over to them as they neared, and slung his arm over Nessie's shoulders.

"We've been waiting for you guys." Seth said, and pulled Nessie with him over to where Emily stood with Mathew, while Jacob went over to Sam and they started to talk. Watching from the corner of her eye, she watched as they exchanged short words, and Jacob was introduced to the new, young wolf. He ran his hand through his hair, nodding at a few things Jacob said, answering in short one word sentences.

"You could have started without us." Nessie answered, not able to pull her eyes from Jacob.

"No we couldn't, Jacob is pack leader." Seth corrected.

"And you are part of this family, Nessie, you know that." Emily added with a sweet smile. She moved Mathew from one leg to the other.

Nessie smiled, understanding. It was a few more minutes before Jacob came back, and took a seat next to Nessie. She instinctively leaned against his warm body though there was a fire in front of her the rivaled his body temperature. Nessie watched as Jared pushed Billie closer to the fire, his graying hair tied back in a long braid. His wise face cast a kind smile towards Nessie and his son, and Nessie for a moment felt extremely embarrassed, as if Billie was reading her mind.

"Time for story time," Jacob murmured softly as the group settled down. Nessie touched his arm filling his head for a moment the memories of when he told her the stories in field behind her home under the stars. Jacob smiled at Nessie, but looked away too soon. For a moment Nessie was afraid that she would transfer the image of kissing him, and removed her head from his shoulder. However, just as Billie began to speak, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close and she instinctively obliged. It was hard for her to keep away from him for long.

Nessie listened in a half-daze to the stories of the Quileute spirit warriors, and the story of Taha Aki's wife until Nessie fell asleep, the warmth sending her into a heavenly darkness. It was two hours later when Jacob finally woke her up, laughing at her confused face, images flashing through his head as Nessie fought against waking up.

"Come one, time to get you home. I think your father would kill me if I didn't get you home before one." Jacob said, standing up and pulling Nessie with him smoothly.

"It's really twelve thirty?" Nessie mumbled incoherently as Jacob led her down a path towards the car. She heard distant goodbyes from the other, and she struggled to reply as she stumbled in uncharacteristic clumsiness.

"Yes Bella – you are more like your mother then you will ever know." Jacob scoffed.

"When my mother was human, you mean." Nessie corrected, sobering.

"What ever you would like to call it then." Jacob remarked, and helped Nessie into the Volvo.

"I can do it," Nessie muttered as Jacob buckled her seat belt, but in reality she didn't mind. It was in Jacob's nature to baby her, and for years she had tried to fight against it, but now she just made her comments but never fought against him.

Jacob shut the door, and ran around the car, and opened the driver side door and slipped in with quick ease. He didn't bother with his own seat belt, and turned the ignition starting the car, its low rumbling soothing Nessie. She had always loved driving. It wasn't long before them were flying down the highway, both in thoughtful silence.

"Happy birthday," Jacob said suddenly, in a soft voice.

"Oh, yeah, thanks." Nessie said, smiling at Jacob.

"I could give you your birthday present now if you want it." Jacob said after a few minutes.

"No wait for the party, I don't think Aunt Alice would forgive you if you mess with her plans." Nessie answered, grinning.

"I don't know, Alice has always had a soft spot for me." Jacob said smugly.

"Fine, than Aunt Rosalie will tear you apart if you do." Nessie corrected wryly.

"I'd like to see her try." Jacob replied just as they turned down the long familiar drive way toward Nessie's home.

They parked, and both got out the car. Edward and Bella were already out front waiting for them, and Nessie rushed over hugging her mother watching as Edward exchanged a look with Jacob.

"Home safe and sound as promised." Jacob said, throwing the care keys to Edward who caught them gracefully.

"How was the bomb fire?" Bella asked.

"Good, I fell asleep." Nessie laughed.

"Now there is a surprise," Edward teased, for a moment letting his guard down. Nessie could tell that he wanted to talk to Jacob about Raymond, and started to walk back to the house with her mother, taking a moment to share a good-bye smile with Jacob.

"Why does he always have to ruin things?" Nessie murmured as Bella hoisted her over her shoulder and began to run home.

*~*~*~*

Brightly wrapped presents were even more vibrant against the white setting of the Cullen's living room. Nessie sat in the middle of it all, a cone hat on her head reading birthday girl, and a yellow balloon in her lap. She was laughing at Jacob who was making faces behind Edward's back, who was very aware of the entire situation.

Everyone was standing in the living room, with the exception of her Aunt's who were in the kitchen preparing the cake. Seth stood next to Jacob, also laughing, and next to Edward stood her mother, trying to contain her own laughter. Jasper was standing with Carlisle and Esme near the door all smiling and coaching Emmett as he took pictures of Nessie sitting at her table of gifts.

Nessie had to hand it to her Aunts; they had planned her kind of birthday. It was small, normal, and all her friends and family were there. Everyone was happy; her father allowing Jacob to have his fun so that his daughter could be happy.

When her Aunt's walked in carrying a wedding-sized cake between them – something that either one of them could probably carry with one hand – and everyone began to sing happy birthday until they placed it in front of her, and she blew out the candles, thinking her usual wish, "I wish that my dad couldn't read my mind." She would then hear everyone cheering, and her father chuckling at their inside joke.

"Why on earth did you make such a big cake?" Nessie asked as her Aunt Alice cut a slice of cake and handed it to her. The cake was a wedding cake, for sure. It was a stack three, the bottom as big as her arms if she shaped them into a circle.

"For those two over there, of course. They could probably eat one of these all on their own." Alice answered, grinning at Jacob and Seth who had abandoned making fun of Edward in the hopes of satisfying their never ending hunger.

"Eat up, and then we can open presents." Rosalie cheered.

Nessie had long since gotten used to being the only one who would eat in a room full of people. They all talked about past birthday's and memories while she and 'the wolves' stuffed their faces with cake. Scooping the last bite in her mouth, just as Jacob finished his half of the cake – to which Rosalie vowed as the most disgusting thing she had ever seen – Nessie looked at the presents with hopeful eyes.

"Which one should I open first?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter, just pick one." Edward said coolly.

Nessie shrugged. It didn't matter how many birthday's she had had, she had never liked opening presents in front of people. They had quickly learned this, and always told her she didn't have to open them, but she always felt guilty and would open at least two.

Grabbing a small square shaped present that was wrapped in red, Bella and Edward both grinned as she had chosen their present. The beautiful red and yellow wrapping paper was torn into shreds in a flash as Nessie pulled it away, revealing a black box. Already, Nessie knew what her eighteenth birthday present would be. Opening a box, Nessie found the familiar oval-shaped locket she had seen many times in her father's desk. It was old, from the late nineteenth century, and was on a long silver chain. A small emerald marked the centre of a vine that was engraved on the locket.

Grinning up at her parents, Nessie was speechless. Images flashed through her mind in rapid succession and Edward smiled, taking his wife's hand in his own. "I'm glad that you like it."

"I love it." Nessie said, looking back at the locket and opening it to find picture's of her grandparents. It was all her father had left of them.

After a few more seconds, Nessie quit staring at it, and pulled it over her head. She proceeded to then pull another present, much larger in size than the last. This one was from Alice and Jasper, and as Nessie expected it was a Prada dress, straight from the runway. Nessie smiled, and hugged her Aunt, thankful, but not as excited as she was with her first gift. After opening the rest of her gifts, Nessie's family began to depart, and Nessie glanced at all her gifts: a set of keys to a yellow hummer that was in the garage – a present from her Uncle Emmet; a drawing book from her Aunt Rosalie (a surprise because usually it was beauty products that her Aunt gave her); a best hits CD from Seth; and five novels of various genres from her grandparents. All gifts made Nessie happy, but she was curious as to what Jacob's gift, which she had not received.

As nobody longer lingered in the dinning room, all having moved into the kitchen of T.V room, Nessie was alone with her parents, and Jacob (Seth had followed Emmet into the T.V room to catch the basketball score). Standing up, Nessie hugged both her parents.

"Thank you, I love it. I don't think I will ever take it off." She told them.

"You will before you go to bed – it could choke you or break." Bella warned her daughter.

"Yes mom," Nessie agreed, rolling her eyes.

"Happy birthday love," Edward said, hugging his daughter as tightly as he dared.

"Thanks," Nessie mumbled, and finally her father let her go. Without another word her mother and father left the room.

"So where's my birthday present?" Nessie asked, looking at Jacob with a smirk.

"I'll give it to you outside." Jacob replied in a serious tone. Taking her hand, he pulled her through the house and out to the back porch. He stopped for a moment and looked at her, and as if changing his mind, pulled Nessie down the wooden steps and across the dewy grass so that he was so far from the house that he had a chance Nessie's family would not hear.

"What are you trying to keep from my family?" Nessie asked, trying to hide the nervous amusement in her voice.

"It's not like it will work – Edward is probably reading my mind." Jacob grumbled.

"It's so strange hearing you call him by name." Nessie commented.

"Would you rather me call him-" Jacob started, but Nessie instinctively placed her hand on his arm, and he stopped talking. A rush of colours filled his head, and for a moment, Jacob stopped breathing.

"I hate when you do that." Jacob breathed when Nessie pulled her hand away.

"What? Use my Jetti mind tricks on you?" Nessie teased. She was getting her confidence now, something that happened on odd occasions.

Jacob rolled her eyes, but he smiled a toothy grin. "You can be so ridiculous sometimes."

"That's why you love me."

As soon as Nessie had said it, she regretted it. Jacob's features slowed, and she watched as his face became serious. She was not sure if she knew what it meant, or what was to come. She was aware that her hands were now in his; he was so close she could feel the warmth coming from his unusually clothed chest. Her heart seemed to be beating madly, and she blushed as she was sure Jacob and her family could probably hear it all.

"I do, you know," Jacob said so softly, brushing a hair from her face. It sent a shiver down Nessie's spine, as his face neared hers. She looked into his dark brown eyes, and found a depth she had never noticed before. Looking into those eyes she found comfort and security, and love.

His lips were soft on hers; shy at first, but when she kissed him back, it intensified. Nessie's mind, which had been over-flowing with thoughts, was now thoughtless and only filled with brilliant colours she had never imagined before. She was aware that Jacob was seeing this too, but she did not care, as she pushed her body closer to his, a magnetic force pulling her in. It was not until Jacob pulled away that Nessie realized she was nearly gasping for air.

Her chest heaving, Nessie leaned her head against Jacob's chin, and he kissed her softly on the top of the head. He held her tightly, and Nessie was reassured that everything had just happened was a mutual occurrence.

"Was that as wild for you as it was for me?" Jacob laughed in her ear.

Nessie gave a shaky laugh, the shock still having not worn off. She was unable to say a thing, and simply nuzzled her head closer to his warm chest. "Carry me home," she mumbled.

Jacob gave another rolling laugh, but did as he was told, swinging Nessie on to his back as if she was a backpack. She laughed as he started to run, gripping his shoulders. This was nothing new to their relationship – when she was younger she used to live on Jacob's shoulders. This thought startled Nessie for a moment. Jacob had always been there, as her own personal guardian. Sure, there was her father and her uncles, who she trusted with her life, but with Jacob it was different. She could share everything with him without holding back. She could whine about her parents and he would understand and listen perfectly. Would this change things? It shouldn't. She hoped not.

They were outside of the house, and Jacob placed Nessie on her feet. Jacob towered over her, but Nessie couldn't be bothered. Another soft kiss on the lips, and Nessie found herself having difficulty pulling away. Awkward fumbling proceeded this, as Nessie tried unlocking her door. Eventually Jacob opened the door for her, and with a swift kiss stayed on the door step while Nessie went inside. She smiled at him, holding the door.

"Thanks Jake," Nessie grinned.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Jacob told her with a flash of his smile.

Nessie nodded, and whispering a goodbye started closing the door and Jacob started to walk away. When the door was almost shut, Nessie slammed it open again. Stepping out front she said loudly, as Jacob had already walked a good fifty feet with his long legs, "I don't want to tell my parents yet."

Jacob turned around and smiled. "I think they know."

"Yeah, I know, but I still don't want to tell them yet. Act like nothing has happened at all." Nessie told him.

"You make it sound like you're embarrassed." Jacob questioned.

Nessie stammered. "I'm not embarrassed…"

Jacob shook his head, and run over to where Nessie stood. He placed his hands on her hips and held her gently. "We will act like nothing happened, and maybe we can hide the truth from your father." Jacob grinned again.

"Okay, thank you, I just want to feel…" Nessie trailed off.

"Normal for once?" Jacob guessed.

Nessie smiled. "Exactly."

Jacob kissed her again, shortly, and then again. Nessie laughed. She was glad she wasn't the only one who enjoyed those strange colours. Finally Jacob let go of her, and nudged her gently towards the house. "Go to bed now." He said softly.

Nessie gave a sheepish grin, and turned towards her house. Jacob stood still waiting for her to enter the house, and close the door. He waved to her just as she shut the door, and through the eye hole Nessie watched as Jacob started running towards the forest line, blushing as she watched his hazy outline strip to the nude. Turning away, Nessie clasped her hand to her mouth she fought a guilty laugh.

Going up the stairs slowly, her hand slid up the banister as she tried to force a laugh from her lips. She knew her parents would be home soon, and she needed to force all thoughts of what had just happened from her mind in order to keep her father from finding out. Nessie had learned how to control her emotions when she was young, learning that her father didn't need to know everything, and it became extremely easy for her to wipe her mind clear with a little concentration.

Opening the door to her room, Nessie peered at the clean white surrounding's that gleamed ghost-like in the moonlight. Her window was open, and Nessie could feel a cool breeze enter her room. Shivering, Nessie walked over to the window and pulled it shut. Taking a moment to look out the window, wondering what Jacob was doing Nessie sighed at the beautiful starry sky. It had been a perfect night, and she feared what the morning might bring. Would everything with Jacob be all right? Could they hide their secret from her parents? She hoped so, just for a little while. All she needed was her father to get upset, and he and Jacob get into a fight as they had on earlier occasions when she was young.

Pulling the curtain over the window, Nessie undressed and pulled on some fleece pajamas. As she crawled into her bed she heard her parents hushed voices on the landing, and her bedroom door opened not a sound being heard. "Good night Nessie, happy birthday."

"Good night mum, thank you." Nessie murmured softly. "I love you."

"We love you to," her father's smooth voice replied, and the door was closed.


	3. Secrets Revealed

**All Grown Up Chapter 3**

**Secrets Revealed**

"Do you ever think about going to school?" Bella asked Nessie in the morning while she was eating breakfast.

Nessie had been in deep concentration, focusing all of herself on her cereal as her parents on the other side of the table, watching her, as they often did. Her father was staring intently at her and she knew he was focusing completely on her thoughts which were all about her cereal which she was eating. Jacob hadn't even slipped into her mind, she was so well trained.

"Do I ever what?" Nessie repeated.

"Think about going to school." Bella repeated.

Nessie shrugged. "It would be fun, I'm sure, but I think it would be a little noticeable if I went to school – I look so much like you that people would ask questions. Nobody even knows that I exist besides Grandpa, and he thinks I'm just a dream half the time."

"Never mind that, you could go to school near Port Angeles; it's far enough." Edward suggested. He was staring at Nessie intensely, but it didn't faze Nessie. She had become a natural to his usual purge of her thoughts, and she maintained a cool state of mind, not panicking at all.

"I don't know. Like I said, it would be fun. But why would I need to go? It's not like I don't get my own share of learning at home." Nessie looked between her mother and father.

"It's up to you, your father and I just thought it would be an experience for you. You do complain about not being 'normal' sometimes." Bella said knowingly.

Nessie shrugged, and looked to her food. "I'll say maybe right now."

Smiling, her mother pulled away from the counter in a smooth movement, and tugged at Edwards arm. "Maybe we could go with you – make it a family thing."

Nessie choked on her cereal. Her father made a quick movement around the kitchen getting her a glass of water, before Nessie even had time to register she was choking. After a few sips of water, and deep breaths she looked at her parents through watery eyes. "It's a thought, but would that not defeat the purpose of feeling normal?"

Bella frowned for a moment, but nodded. "I suppose you're right."

_Don't look at me like that,_ Nessie thought as she felt her father's disapproving look. She had hurt her mother's feeling – which she found easy now a day's – but she knew she was right.

"Honey, let's leave her to her breakfast." Edward said, hearing her thoughts. Nessie knew that he agreed with her, and watched as he put an arm around her waist and they left her alone in the kitchen.

Standing up, Nessie dumped the rest of her cereal into the sink, not feeling very hungry anymore. In fact, she felt relieved. She had managed to keep her mind clear of anything Jacob, and she would be the free for the next few hours. Going through a secret passage that led straight to her room – her grandmother's idea – Nessie wondered what Jacob was doing at that very moment. He would usually come to meet her at breakfast, but with the new wolf it was likely that plans had been changed.

_He's probably looking for Leah._ Nessie assumed as she lay down on her bed, grabbing her sketch book as she went. Choosing charcoal over her water colours (her favourite) her fingers flipped through the pages, her eyes catching the colourful images she had drawn from her dreams. There were a few of her family, but they tended to be black and white or cold colours like blue or purple. She had never understood what had drawn her to those colours, but like a composer who sees colours when listening to music, she would look at people and see colours.

It hadn't taken her long to see a drawing a Jacob to stop all her thoughts. It was a watercolour painting she had done months ago of Jacob while at the beech in La Push. The sun had been setting, its warm summer glow cascading everywhere. It had been a rare moment when Nessie had caught him looking across the Ocean in deep thought. His hair was wet and matted with sand and salt. His blue jean cut off's were soaking wet, and is copper skin seemed to glow. Nessie couldn't remember feeling such warmth before, and the image had gotten stuck in her head, and she couldn't help painting it. She had never shown it to Jacob, feeling a little embarrassed about. She knew he would notice the difference, how warm the colours were compared to her other art.

Taking a deep breath, Nessie flipped to a blank page and absently began to draw the cliffs of La Push. It was a common scene she would draw when there was nothing else to do. Her fingers moved in a familiar fashion, black covering her hands, and even managing to get on her forehead and nose. She had almost finished, two hours later, when a knock came at her door, causing Nessie to jumping, sending her charcoal every where.

Edward came into the room looking apologetically. "Sorry Renesme, I just wanted to see if you were all right up here."

"It's okay dad," Nessie said, relaxing. She began gathering her charcoal and placing it back in the box. "I should be used to you and mom being so quiet."

Edward grinned, and kneeled over to pick up Nessie's sketch book that had fallen on the floor. For a moment Nessie's heart stopped as she watched him flip through the pages. Though he had seen some of her drawings before, none of the ones in there he had. Ever since she had begun to take her art more seriously she had become more and more self-conscious about it.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed Nessie, these are really good." Edward said as he turned a page slowly, his eyes traveling over each drawing. "Why didn't you ever tell us you enjoyed art so much?"

_I never thought about it that way._ Nessie thought, setting her charcoal on her side table and slipping off the bed. _You're not just telling me they're good because you're my dad, are you?_

Edward chuckled lightly and looked up at her. "You are just like your mother."

_Is that a yes or a no?_

"It's a no."

Nessie smiled, and stood next to her father as he continued looking at the drawings. He smiled at them all, commenting every so often on how much he liked them. He admired the ones she had done of himself, though standing so close to him she could feel his sense of disconcert as he acknowledged her lack of warm colours. She wished she could hear his thoughts. And then there was the image of Jacob at the beach. Nessie inwardly blanched, though she focused on thinking nothing. Her father stared at it for a long time, and glanced at Nessie.

"This one is your best I think." He told her, though Nessie could sense an underline tension.

"I like it too, though I think I used too much red." Nessie said.

"I think it's perfect." Edward argued, and closed the book and handed it too Nessie. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

"Mom says I got it from you."

"Don't change the subject; we're not talking about me." Edward said sharply.

Nessie frowned. "Then what are we talking about? Don't think I don't realize you came in here for some specific reason. All breakfast you were watching me. You were waiting for me to think of something."

"You weren't thinking about anything, that's why I was listening so hard. You usually never speak at breakfast, you usually only think and your mother has to get the answers from me. What's wrong?" Edward asked, watching her intently again.

"Nothing is wrong! I just felt like talking this morning. I was completely happy before you came in here." Nessie said, annoyed now.

"If that is so, then I will leave you to yourself." Edward said, sensing defeat and turned swiftly to the door.

Without blinking or speaking, Nessie watched as he exited her room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Walking over to the door she heard her mother's voice, "I told you not to bother her."

"You didn't see the drawings." She heard her father say softly as they went downstairs.

Frowning, Nessie went to put her sketchbook away. She knew she should not have been so upset with her father, knowing that he was just concerned for her. However, she had a feeling that the drawings had upset him. He had always been afraid that she would be affected by the fact they were Vampires, always surrounded by the cold. And perhaps the drawing of Jacob had hurt him, seeing how bright she had drawn him. His mind was probably reeling at what it meant. Or at least, what he knew it meant.

Nessie didn't know a lot about what had gone on before she was born between Jacob and her parents. She knew that her mother and Jacob had been really good friends, and because of this the Vampires and the Werewolves had worked together a lot to protect the people of Forks. But Nessie had always sensed an underline mood that she couldn't quite understand. It might have had to do with the whole Werewolves and Vampires being mortal enemies, but Nessie felt it went deeper.

"Hey Nessie," a deep and familiar voice said from behind her.

Nessie spun around to find Jacob crawling through her open window, uncharacteristically wearing a shirt along with his cut off's. Her brow rising at his appearance, she smiled widely. "What's the occasion?"

Jacob shrugged as he walked over to her. "Thought it might go along with being normal; most people don't like to run around half naked in the middle of fall." Jacob said flashing his famous smile.

Nessie's insides turned as he drew close to her and planted a soft kiss on her lips, his big hands clasping her small shoulders. He held her close, and Nessie quickly relaxed. She always got so nervous for no reason around him. But once in his arms everything seemed perfect, and all of her fears slipped from her mind.

"You are so small." Jacob said dryly, still holding her.

"No I'm not; I think you're too big." Nessie replied, looking up at him with a grin.

Jacob gave a rumbling laugh. "Your parents know that I am here."

"Is that a good thing?" Nessie thought a loud.

"I'm not the one who can read minds." Jacob said letting go of her, and falling on to her bed.

"Did you want to get away from here?" Nessie asked, looking from the door to Jacob.

"Thought you would never ask." Jacob smirked, and stood up. "But first you need to change – something more durable and comfortable." Jacob opened her bedroom door, and closed it behind him.

A little bewildered, Nessie did as she was told and pulled out her favourite bathing suit – something she wore all the time when she was Jake – and pulled on a pare of old jeans and a short-sleeved plaid shirt. Staring at herself in the mirror for a moment she played with her hair, trying to ignore the fact that no matter how human she felt she still looked… un-human.

Finally she opened the door to find Jacob standing by the stairs, waiting for her. Making sure to keep a good distance from each other they went down the stairs and stopped at the sitting room where her parents were sitting and watching television.

"I'm just going out for a bit with Jake." Nessie told them.

"Do you want dinner when you come back?" Bella said, looking at them with a bright smile.

"I think Billy already has plans to make dinner." Edward answered, casting a serious look at Jacob.

"Oh, all right, you two have fun then. Take the keys to the Volvo!" Bella called, as Jacob and Nessie turned to leave, going as fast as possible.

"I've got my bike." Jacob said as they went down the hall and to the door. Jacob laughed loudly at something Edward said, but all Nessie heard was a muffled grumble.

As the door slammed shut behind her Nessie smiled at the sight of Jacob's bike. He got on, throwing a helmet at Nessie which she caught easily, and revved up the engine. Sliding the helmet over her head, she smiled at Jacob who sat staring at her with a big grin on his face.

"Hurry up," he whined, and she rushed to get on the back with him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, loving the warmth he gave off, she held tight as he released the clutch and they were sent speeding across the dirt path. The wind whipping against her face, Nessie smiled as the warm sunshine hit her skin on the mountain road. It didn't take her long to realize Jake wasn't taking her to La Push.

"Where are we going?" she shouted loudly over the roar of the bike.

"You'll see," Jake yelled back, and quickly turned the bike down a dirt road, shaded by the tall trees of the forest.

As they went the road got bumpier and bumpier until finally coming to an end at an old broken down cottage. Nessie got off the bike first, and walked towards the cottage, taking the helmet off her head as she went. Staring at the sad looking home, Nessie marvelled for a moment at how a stream of light shown down through the small clearing the house had made, and cast an un-earthly glow on the cottage.

"What is this place?" Nessie asked, looking back at Jake who had mounted the bike, and was walking over to her, his hands deep in his pockets.

"It was my mother's house when she was a girl. Her father wanted a place a way from the reserve, I was told." Jake explained, standing a few centimetres behind Nessie.

"It must have been nice… it's big for a cottage." Nessie said, moving closer, then stopping and turning to Jake. "Why'd you bring me here?"

"Well, this isn't really what I wanted to show you. But what I do want to show you is just a little ways from here. We just can't take the bike, that's all." Jake explained, and walked past Nessie, grabbing her hand as he went.

"I wish you would just tell me what you wanted to show me instead of dragging me around." Nessie complained as they started walking through the thick undergrowth.

"You just have to learn to be patient – you're just as bad as your mother." Jake laughed, no longer holding her hand.

"Everyone always says that; that I'm just like her. But I don't think I'm like her at all." Nessie said as they walked.

"Just because you look like your dad doesn't mean you're anything like him." Jake said, pushing a tree branch out of the way for Nessie to walk by.

"What do you mean?" Nessie asked, liking where this conversation was going. She always liked talking about her parents, and their past lives before her. The stories made her feel more a part of them, and hearing the similarities made their relation even stronger. She was, after all, the daughter of Vampires.

"Well, for one you have her eyes. You're clumsy-"

"My mom was clumsy when she was human?" Nessie asked, amazed. She had heard jokes made about her clumsiness, but she never totally understood it. Her mother was just as graceful as her father or Aunt.

"You make me feel old when we talk about this stuff." Jacob admitted looking at Nessie for a moment.

"You shouldn't, it's not my fault I age so quickly." Nessie said, catching up with Jacob so that she could walk next to him.

"Well, it does put us in a strange position, doesn't it?"

Nessie stopped Jacob to have him look at her. Finding a new bravery within her, Nessie spoke without a waver in her voice. "You can't help who you love," she said, touching her hand to his arm, colours invading both of their minds.

"You have no idea," Jacob mumbled as Nessie pulled away, the shield of colours disappearing.

"So, how else am I like my mom?" Nessie continued, taking Jacob's hand in hers as they walked.

"Your eyes, they are the exact same brown colour as hers. And how you are so stubborn and impatient. Not to forget you have the same annoying habit of weaselling your way into any situation." Jacob said, with a sideways glance.

"Any positives?" Nessie asked.

"How 'bout we stop comparing you to your mom." Jacob suggested, and Nessie noticed the tension. She knew she had hit a sore spot, and decided that this was one thing she wasn't going to be 'stubborn' about. To be fully honest she was curious as to why Jacob disliked talking about the past and her mother. In fact, everyone in her life tended to avoid the past problems between Jacob and her father, Edward. She always assumed it was the attention Jacob paid to her, but she knew her father and Jacob had never been friends, and that he had with her mother. And there was an unexplained circumstance from this that did nothing but send Nessie's mind in circles.

"Is something wrong?" Jacob asked suddenly.

Nessie shook away from her thoughts, and shook her head. "No, why?"

"Well it was suddenly as if I was under water." Jacob explained.

"Oh, no, nothing is wrong." Nessie said quickly, knowing Jacob saw through her lie. He didn't push it, not wanting to ruin the moment.

They walked for another ten minutes, and as they neared Jacob's mysterious spot the sound of rushing water filled Nessie's ears, and she started to have an idea of where Jacob was taking her. Finally, they arrived, and Jacob and Nessie came to a small cliff, the rushing water spilling from the earth below them into a river that ran down the side of the mountain. The sun was shining brightly down on the beautiful sight, and Nessie looked down at the spilling water, and back at Jacob.

"Where does the water come from?"

"It's an underground tunnel; it goes straight through the mountain." Jacob explained, showing Nessie over to a path that led down to the bottom of the cliff. When they came to the bottom, Jacob tore off his shirt and pulled off his shoes, and jumped into the swirling pool of water. Feeling a little self-conscious, Nessie hesitated. However, from the long hike she had earned a sweat, and the cold splashing water looked incredibly inviting, so finally she pulled her jeans and shirt off and jumped into the water, and swam over to Jacob who was near the falls.

The water splashed around wildly, and though Nessie was a naturally good swimmer, the currents were strong, and Jacob grabbed hold of her so she wouldn't get pushed away. His arms around her, he made the freezing water bearable. The sun shown on his face, his copper skin glowing just like it would on the beech. It was warm outside, and Nessie could feel it on her own face as she swam in circles with Jake.

"Have I ever told you that I think you are beautiful?" Jacob said loudly, having to compete with the thunder of the falls.

"Possibly – but probably when you were giving me a pep-talk." Nessie grinned.

"Well, I think you are beautiful," Jake whispered, and Nessie couldn't help it. The colours were all around them, and their lips met and they seemed to go wilder. It was as if she was floating on a heavenly cloud with Jacob. Colourful images passed through their minds and it was hard not to stop.

Jacob ended up ending the kissing, saying it was getting hard to remember to swim while she clung to him – she had managed to wrap her legs around his waist, her hands knotted in his hair. It was a brave move on her part, and her cheeks quickly reddened as Jacob swam her over to the edge of the water, and helped her up the rocky edges. On top of a large flat boulder, they lay next to each other and let the warm sun dry them.

"When did you know you loved me?" Nessie asked, staring at the sky.

"I don't really know." Jacob admitted, his fingers tangled in her hair. "When you were born I knew you were special… to me."

"You're being a little cryptic, Jake." Nessie laughed, snuggling into his side.

Jake laughed lightly. "It's hard to explain."

"I can tell." Nessie said, looking at him. She felt as his fingers traced circles into her back, and she had difficulty to keep her breath steady.

"It's not a good idea to talk about any of this, Nessie."

"Whoa, I just asked you when you realized you loved me – I could tell you. The day before my birthday when you were holding me it sort of clicked and I just knew. That's why I jumped away so quickly and ran to the house." Nessie laugh, her cheeks burning.

Jacob offered a half smile, and Nessie's own smile slipped away. "Why don't you want to tell me?"

"I told you already, it's hard to explain." Jacob said.

"What did you like imprint on me or something?" Nessie laughed, and then frowned. "Crap, I didn't even think about that. There is no way you could have imprinted on me because you would have had to do that when you first saw me…. and that was when I was just a baby…" Nessie trailed off, and looked at Jacob curiously.

"Well… here is the truth – and you have to listen with an open mind Nessie. And you have to promise not to hate me!" Jacob said sternly.

The look in his eyes told Nessie he wasn't joking, and nodding seriously she said, "I will listen and I won't hate you – not that I could."

"On the day you were born… well I wasn't all that happy about it. As a werewolf I naturally am against anything that Vampires do, and when I learned that Edward had impregnated Bella I was furious. She was my best friend, and Nessie, you weren't a normal baby." Jake said defensively.

"No arguments there." Nessie laughed, urging him on.

"Well, I told Bella she was crazy to go through with the pregnancy. No one had ever heard of such a thing, and I thought you were evil. I hated Edward for what he had done to Bella, and was furious that she refused to listen to anyone. You heard all this before, but to be honest with you I hated Bella the most. I hated her for choosing Edward over me, hated her for turning into a monster just to keep alive something we weren't sure was even… well human for lack of a better word." Jacob pulled away from Nessie, his body growing tense as he fought a battle against his own instincts.

Nessie wasn't sure what to do. She had quickly wished she had never brought up the subject, it seeming to ruin what ever moment they were having. It was hearing him talk about it her as if she was demon child like the ones her Uncle Jasper had once told her about. Were things really that way? She knew her birth wasn't exactly the planned idea, but everyone always talked about it like it was a miracle and not a disaster as Jacob was now explaining it. Slowly she placed her hand on his elbow, scared and nervous, but he didn't look at her, simply stared off at the water fall.

"I'm not telling you this to hurt you, but because I think you should know. I fell in love with your mother four years before you were born. We became best friends when Edward left her for what I thought, was a smart reason, so that she could be human. Though I didn't understand that until I became a werewolf – before then I just thought he was an asshole. Then I turned into a werewolf and she found out and she was more scared of me than she was of Edward. She would always say I wasn't her Jacob anymore… the relationship is hard to explain, Nessie. It's all in the past now, of course, but you should know the truth.

"They got back together, and I was pissed. We fought against an army of Vampires – as you were told – but things were never truly the same. I ran away, and came home when they got married. I showed up, ruined a few things and than they were gone on their honey moon. I hated my life, and I hated them. You want to know why your dad and I don't get along. It's not anything natural, at least in that respect. He hated how close Bella and I were, and how I could provide her things that he couldn't because she was human.

"When they came back, and I learned about the pregnancy, well, I told you, I was mad. That's how the pack ended up splitting. Leah and Seth came with me and we went our way while Sam and the others went their own. I was their when you were born, well, sort of. I left after giving up on Bella and I went down the stairs miserable. I couldn't stand it, couldn't watch them as they turned the girl I loved into my enemy. I wanted to die right then, but I heard Rosalie's cooing noises. It was you, though all I could imagine was a monster. As I came into view I imagined all these ways I could kill you, weighed my chances, and figured that it didn't matter because I didn't want to live.

"And then Rosalie held you up. This beautiful half-vampire, half-human girl. You looked like your father, that's what everyone said, but all I saw was the eyes, the same eyes of your mother. You were human – something in you was human and it all made sense. You were my life at that moment, my centre of gravity keeping me breathing. I imprinted on you – I paid the price a while later when Bella found out, but everything changed. To me there are two different parts of my life – life without you, and life with you.

"Nessie, I know it's messed up, really messed up, but I can't help it. I could run as far away from you only to run right back because of this love I have for you. Everything in the past doesn't matter because… I have you. It all leads me to you, and I know you can feel it. No matter what you'll always love me and I'll always love you."

Jacob finally turned around to find Nessie was standing, and putting her clothes back. There were tears on her face, and Jacob jumped up quickly to catch her before she started running.

"Please don't go, Nessie. I had to tell you." Jacob pleaded.

"I know, I get that, I just…" Nessie stuttered, struggling to keep control. She couldn't believe it. She felt sick to her stomach. He had been in love with her mother. Her mother! And all she had done was destroy him!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Jacob began to repeat. He didn't understand. He tried to hold until at last Nessie gave in, her tears blurring her vision.

"She nearly killed you," Nessie whispered into his chest. "She nearly killed you, and now she acts as if everything is normal. What the hell is that?" Nessie said loudly, pulling away to look at Jacob in the eye. "Why are you still here?"

Jacob frowned. "Because of you…"

"This is so weird." Nessie finally said, and watched as a small smile flashed on Jacob's face.

"At least you get that, your mother never did." Jacob said.

"So you imprinted on me?" Nessie repeated, trying to process all the information. "And that's why I feel… so connected with you."

"That's why I love you so much." Jacob affirmed.

Nessie couldn't help but smile. "And you used to be in love with my mother – when she was a human."

"Correct," Jacob confirmed.

"And that's why my dad and you don't get along."

"Yep."

"Well that's just dandy." Nessie said sarcastically, looking at Jacob and sighing deeply. "So much for normal," she finally said and fell into Jacob's arms.

"I don't think I would love you as much as I do if you were normal." Jacob admitted his face in her hair.

"Thanks for the compliment," Nessie laughed. In Jacob's arms it didn't matter what feelings she felt, only warmth and warm colours surrounded her. "Can we go to the beech? I want to feel the sand between my toes."

Jacob only laughed loudly, and let go of Nessie. He picked up her clothes and threw them at her, telling her to get dressed and they would get going. She did as she was told, and he waited for her, having only his shirt and shoes to put on. When she was done, Jacob pulled her tiny frame over to him, and bent down. "Hop on," he told her. Nessie grinned, liking his idea, and jumped on to his back. Though it was nothing like riding on her parents back, this was just as fun. Jacob began running at an easy pace, flying in and out of all the trees until at last his grandparents home came into view, and he slowed down to let her walk on her own.

Back on the road, her wet hair whipping in the wind, Nessie clung to Jacob's bare chest as they sped down the dirt path, onto the highway road and all the way down to La Push. To Nessie La Push was a second home. As they drove past the main store, all the kids who sat outside eating ice cream screamed and yelled chasing them until Jacob kicked the bike into high gear and they were gone.

As they pulled up in front of his house, Billy was coming out on to the front porch. Rebecca stood just behind him, a crooked grin on her face when she saw who it was. Nessie didn't mind being close to Jacob in front of his family – they were used to it and if anyone would understand the way imprinting worked, they would.

"Nessie, it's great to see you!" Billy called, raising his arms to the sky.

Nessie pulled the helmet on her head, and grinned widely. Walking past Jake, she ran up the ramp and hugged Billy. Though she would never tell her father – nor think about it around him, she loved Billy like he was her Grandfather. Unlike Charlie, whom she loved just as much, she wasn't afraid to be herself. She had shared her visions with Billy, and he enjoyed them often. He told her it was much like a spirit walk, like those of his ancestors.

"I never got to say this last night, but Happy Birthday!" Billy said as Nessie let go.

Nessie groaned. "Don't remind me," Nessie mumbled. "I'm just glad that I won't be having another one for an entire year."

"She's the only person I know who would complain about getting more than one birthday a year." Rebecca said with a laugh. "It's good to see you Nessie; I have to get to work though. See you later," Rebecca said, and went towards the garage.

As Rebecca walked away, Billy yelled goodbye than looked at Jacob, serious now. "Leah is back, she is coming over for supper."

"I know, she told me last night she was coming home." Jacob answered, and started to pull Nessie away. "We're going to the beech; we'll be back for dinner."

As they walked down the gravel path to the beech, Jacob wrapped his arm around Nessie and a blush came to her cheek as she realized Billy was watching them. She stiffened in Jacob's arms, but he simply laughed at her.

"He knows – Billy could tell just from yesterday." Jacob told her.

Nessie shrugged, and loosened up. "He better not tell anybody."

"He won't, its not like he can go anywhere." Jacob grinned.

On the beech the sun was clear of clouds, and for a moment Nessie felt her skin shine. It was as severe as her father and mother – it didn't look as if her skin was made of a thousand diamonds, but instead as if someone had sprinkled glitter across her body. Rubbing her rub with his hand, Jacob pulled her close to him. Nessie could not deny that she loved being able to be so close to Jacob. Staring out over the crashing ocean Nessie watched as the sun slowly seemed to sink down into the watery depths.

"How are we going to explain this to my parents?" Nessie wondered softly, still watching the sun.

"Trust me, they have been waiting for this." Jacob admitted.

"That doesn't make it easier." Nessie grumbled.

"Once again, trust me, this isn't your problem. When Edward finds out he's probably going to try and rip me to shreds." Jacob grimaced.

"As much of a bitch my mother was in the past, I don't think she would allow that." Nessie laughed, leaning back on Jacob.

"Yeah, probably." Jacob gave a rumbling laugh.

They were a silent until Jacob uneasily cleared his throat. "So you're truly okay with the whole imprinting thing? And well... how I used to be in love with your mother?" He spoke carefully.

Nessie thought about this for a moment. In her heart she knew it wouldn't matter, she knew Jacob loved her – he would probably die if she wasn't in his life – and she wasn't sure if she could handle life without him. But still, what did that mean for her mother? How serious was their relationship? These questions bubbled up so quickly in her mind, Nessie broke away from Jacob, feeling sick.

"What's wrong?" Jacob spoke quickly, concerned.

"How serious was your relationship?" Nessie found herself asking, unable to look at Jacob for fear of his response.

"We were best friends, Nessie, that's all. She loved Edward; she has only ever had eyes for Edward." Jacob tried to touch her, but she moved away. He feared a repeat of what happened at the falls.

"So she used you?" Nessie asked, glancing at Jacob. "After my father left she used you?"

Jacob sighed heavily, giving up. "We were friends, Nessie. Sure, she used me for the time being. She needed someone to distract her, and I was that distraction. But we're still friends. Nothing ever happened between us, nothing ever could have. I was destined to meet you." Jacob's voice cracked, and Nessie couldn't stand it any longer. Crawling into his lap, into his warm cocoon she let him hold her, and kiss her face until their lips met.

A few minutes later, Nessie pulled away, breathing hard. "I'm sorry I brought it up, I'm sorry that I made you talk about it."

Jacob rolled his eyes, leaning his forehead on Nessie's. "You needed to know Ness; I don't think I could keep anything from you."

Nessie didn't speak, but Jacob's head was flooded with warmth and love. Holding her tightly, he didn't think he could ever let go. Having him so close made Nessie feel as if she was whole, and normal for once. In their own little world, they were perfect and there was nothing strange about their love for each other.

"Er, sorry to break this up, but we have some talking to do."

Jacob and Nessie fell apart, and stood up. Leah was standing before them, looking as gorgeous as ever. Though Nessie knew she was good-looking, she couldn't help feel a little jealous. Leah was naturally beautiful, with her high cheek bones and copper skin, and sleek black hair. Nessie was only beautiful because of her father's Vampire blood, it was unnatural.

"What's up?" Jacob asked, casually putting his arm around Nessie.

Leah didn't look amused. "Raymond imprinted on me."

"What?!" Jake shouted, almost knocking over Nessie as he transformed.

"And I thought I reacted badly." Leah said lazily, giving Jake an annoyed look.


End file.
